Alex_Sor

Kuleba: The West will repeat a fatal mistake if it ignores the warning from Kyiv For years, the West ignored Ukraine's warnings about Russia, and this ultimately led to a full-scale war. Calls for immediate peace with Russia coming from the West do not take into account the opinions and concerns of Ukrainians. The West has already made the same mistake in the past, and it was fatal. This is stated in the author's article by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba for the American publication Foreign Affairs. “No country in the world strives for peace more than Ukraine. We do not want a protracted war - it is Putin who wants it. We have a clear vision of the path to peace, set out in the Ten-Point Peace Formula proposed by President Vladimir Zelensky. And It is Ukraine that is paying the highest price for this war,” the minister notes. Kuleba cites the results of sociological surveys, which indicate that 80% of Ukrainians reject the possibility of territorial concessions to Russia and that the majority are ready to endure several years of war for the sake of victory. "Western analysts who call on Ukraine to agree to an immediate ceasefire or unfavorable terms are simply ignoring the views of the Ukrainians. For years, politicians and experts in Europe and the United States have not listened to the warnings of the Ukrainians that neither diplomacy nor "business as usual" "(cooperation as usual) with Russia is no longer possible. Only a full-scale invasion, enormous destruction and suffering forced them to admit that Ukraine was right. There is no need to fall into this trap again," Kuleba urges. The head of Ukrainian diplomacy warns that agreeing to accept Putin's territorial encroachments will be his reward for aggression and will ultimately come at a high cost not only to Ukraine, but also to the United States, its allies and the entire global security architecture as a whole. https://mfa.gov.ua/en/news/shlyah-do-peremogi-ukrayini

For two months now, Russian occupation forces have been trying to capture Avdeevka, Donetsk region. The Russians began their attempts with a massive frontal assault. Now - during the third wave - small groups of Russian infantry are trying to penetrate Ukrainian positions. “There are dozens of bodies here. They are trying to advance. We are killing them. They are sending more. Initially, these were groups of 10 people. Now it is one, two, three without support. The commander uses them like live meat,” the deputy commander told The Guardian 25th assault battalion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which defends Avdievka, Ivan Smaga. According to him, the Russians use different methods - some crawled on the icy ground. Others dug holes “like mice.” Several invaders pretended to be dead, lying for hours next to the corpses of their fallen comrades. "We watch them. They lie under warm bodies. Eventually they rise, move," Smaga explained. Avdiivka has been on the front line for almost a decade, since Russia occupied Donetsk in 2014. From Avdeevka to the regional center it is only a 20-minute drive. After launching a full-scale invasion, the Russians were never able to capture this city, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces built large fortifications and underground command posts. So far the defenders of Avdiivka are holding out, the publication writes. Ivan Smaga emphasized that although Russians may be idiots, they have more resources. On the Avdeevsky salient, the enemy had amassed 40,000 troops, tanks, Soviet-era MT-LB armored vehicles and 152mm howitzers. "We have enough to defend against an attack. But if they continue to advance, we will need a lot more," the deputy commander said, admitting that his unit has been receiving less ammunition since the end of the summer. Journalists note that ten days ago the Russians captured the promka, an industrial zone on the southeastern outskirts of the city. In the north-west there are fierce battles in the village of Stepnoye. In addition, Russian troops carried out a series of raids on the Avdeevsky coke plant. They captured an important waste heap, raising the Russian tricolor there, but have not yet been able to break through the perimeter fence. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/14/ukrainian-defenders-of-avdiivka-hold-on-for-now

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin used the "straight line" to discuss his goals in Ukraine, the specific operational and tactical situations at the front, and the specific concerns of Russian troops and volunteers in a much more public and lengthy manner than in his previous statements about the war since the start of the war. full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Putin's willingness to devote a significant portion of his speech to the war in Ukraine shows his growing confidence in addressing the Russian public on the issue, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in a report. In addition, this, in turn, may indicate his confidence in Russia's prospects in Ukraine after relatively successful Russian defensive operations in the western part of the Zaporozhye region and noticeable fluctuations in Western support for Ukraine. “Many of Putin’s statements on December 14 are similar to boilerplate statements about the Russian war in Ukraine that he made, for example, during a speech at a meeting of the board of the Russian Ministry of Defense almost a year ago,” analysts note. ISW also noted that Putin has not described exactly what changes to the Ukrainian Armed Forces would constitute "demilitarization," although Russia's goal is almost certainly to deprive Ukraine of the means to defend itself and allow Russia to impose its will on Ukraine by force when the Kremlin does not. wishes." https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-14-2023

Russian troops move forward near Avdeevka, Donetsk region. This is confirmed by geolocation data. According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Russians continued offensive operations in the Avdeevsky direction on December 14 and made a confirmed advance. Geolocation footage released on December 14 shows that Russian troops have advanced slightly south of the railway line, which runs northwest of Stepnoye (about 7 km northwest of Avdievka). Russian "military correspondents" claim that the invaders are continuing heavy assaults near Stepnoye and are advancing along the railway line in the area of this settlement. A representative of the Ukrainian brigade stationed in the Avdeevsky direction suggested that the occupiers were conducting particularly intense shelling in the area between Stepnoye and the railway line, and were also trying to remove the bodies of those killed in battle from this area. https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-december-14-2023

The controversial Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vetoed €50 billion in aid to Ukraine from the European Union. “The result of the night shift: veto on additional money for Ukraine, veto on the revision of the multi-year budget. We will return to this issue next year at the EU summit after appropriate preparation,” Orban said on the social network X. Orban's veto was also confirmed by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, after the completion of negotiations between EU leaders, which lasted late into the night, European Pravda reports. Michel emphasized that the topic of discussion was not only the financing of Ukraine. EU leaders were offered a “mega package” for adoption, which included funding to support Ukraine, expenses for migration programs, and funding for the EU Solidarity and Defense Fund. “Only one state could not agree to this decision... The remaining 26 leaders agreed to this “mega-package,” including Sweden, whose prime minister, according to internal procedures, must discuss this decision with parliament, but, as I expect, will then join the others.” - said Michel. When asked if he was talking about Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán, Michel replied: “As I understand it, you are very well aware of what our discussion was about.”

Russian neo-Nazi Alexey Milchakov told how the occupiers committed war crimes against Ukrainian prisoners of war. As Ukrainian journalist Denis Kazansky reported, in one of his interviews Milchakov boasted about how the invaders cut off the hand of a Ukrainian prisoner with the “Glory to Ukraine” tattoo and pickled it in a jar as a souvenir. “In 2014 there was a situation: Novosvetlovka, they took (prisoner - UNIAN) x*khla. He had a “Glory to Ukraine” tattoo on his hand. They cut off his hand and wanted to pickle this tattoo in a jar, and they rolled him on a tank,” - said the neo-Nazi.

The Russian Occupiers covered themselves with prisoners of war during their assault. Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets noted that such actions can be considered a violation of the Geneva Convention. The video from the drone shows how a group of war criminals from the Russian Army leads three Ukrainian prisoners in front of them, and behind them begins to shoot at the positions of our military. The footage from the drone was received by Radio Liberty from the Ukrainian Armed Forces military from near Rabotino. The video shows: after the battle broke out, the Russian military began to retreat. The unarmed people were sent back, and then they shot in the direction of one of them. The next frame shows a motionless body lying on the ground. The fate of the Ukrainian fighter is unknown at this time. Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmitry Lubinets noted that such actions can be considered a violation of the Geneva Convention. “According to the Geneva Convention, it is generally expressly prohibited to use prisoners of war to participate in hostilities. That is, a prisoner of war, after being granted official status, must be in a specially created prisoner of war camp away from hostilities and await the exchange procedure,” the ombudsman said. The Main Intelligence Directorate reported that on the Russian side, the 234th Airborne Assault Regiment as part of the 76th Airborne Assault Division of the Russian Federation is now fighting in this sector of the front.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, during a visit to the United States, asked American lawmakers to approve the allocation of $61 billion in aid, but left Washington without clear commitments regarding further support from allies, Bloomberg writes. Zelensky faced a cooler reception in closed-door meetings with lawmakers than during a visit to Washington a year ago, journalists said. “The president of Ukraine should not come back begging for help and support,” said Sen. Chris Coons, one of Biden’s closest allies. The publication notes that supporters of the US president have expressed hope for a compromise after the holiday break, which would allow aid to be allocated for next year, but the once broad political support in both the US and Europe is fading. “The Biden administration appears to be asking for billions of additional dollars without proper oversight, without a clear strategy for winning, and without a single answer that I believe the American people should receive,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said after Zelensky’s personal address. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, one of Ukraine's staunchest Republican allies, described the chances of the aid being approved before the end of the year as "virtually impossible." When asked about the results of his trip to the United States, Zelensky replied that he hoped for concrete results. “I received signals. They were more than positive. But we know that we must separate words and concrete results. Therefore, we will count on concrete results,” the President of Ukraine said. The Pentagon has $4.6 billion in additional authority it can use to send weapons from its stockpile, but only $1 billion to replace them. That's not enough to sustain the war effort for long, lawmakers and analysts say. As of today, The United States spent $111 billion to support Kyiv,” the media indicates.

Russian enemies dealt a massive blow to the south of Ukraine, more than 10 adults and children were injured. According to the press service of the Southern Defense Forces, for more than 6 hours in a row, from the evening until late at night, the enemy terrorized the southern regions with several waves of drone attacks and simultaneously launched a missile strike. In particular, 39 UAVs of the "Shahed-136/131" type were launched from the temporarily occupied Crimea against civilian infrastructure. The air defense forces accurately worked on all attack drones: two were destroyed in the Kherson region, five in the Nikolaev region and 32 in the Odessa region. “In the Odessa region, the enemy directed his attacks both on Odessa itself and on the south of the region - the Danube region. In Odessa, more than a dozen buildings, mostly residential, were damaged by the debris of downed kamikaze drones, private cars were on fire. It is preliminary known that 11 civilians were wounded, including 3 children. Rescuers quickly put out the fires and set up a heating center," the military said.

Russia is capable of producing or repairing up to 150 tanks per month. This is "much more" than Europe can do. The corresponding statement was made by the State Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Defense Janis Garisons at the Riga Security Forum, Delfi reports. “If you look at history, it is clear that the side that is able to provide greater efficiency in military equipment and weapons wins. Logistics must also be thought out so that supply networks work quickly and accurately,” Garisons said. In his opinion, it is possible to increase the number of soldiers, but we need weapons, tanks and other types of equipment. The European Union, according to the official, can cope with this as before.

As Western support for Kyiv wanes and the US Congress delays urgently needed aid, Russian President Vladimir Putin's chances in his war against Ukraine increase. New York Times columnists Paul Sonne and Andrew Kramer write about this in their article. It is noted that Ukraine is faced with a reduction in ammunition supplies, fighters and Western support. "The counteroffensive launched six months ago has failed. Moscow, once mired in recriminations over the disastrous invasion, is celebrating its ability to sustain a long war," the authors write. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/13/world/europe/ukraine-under-pressure-russia.html

If Ukraine loses the war with the Russian Federation, this will become a personal defeat for the tenure of current US leader Joe Biden at the level of a “second Afghanistan.” Currently, the US Senate has still not reached a consensus on the approval of a new $61 billion support package for Kyiv. Washington failed the corresponding vote on the night of December 7, and the Biden administration faced pressure from Congress - the topic of Ukraine is being “speculated” in order to get the White House to agree to strengthen the security of the border with Mexico, although all possible “deadlines” regarding the provision of weapons to Kyiv already almost completed. The Wall Street Journal emphasizes this. We are talking about internal immigration control, which Speaker of the House of Representatives Mike Johnson and other Republicans are insisting on strengthening. The US Congress met for the official “winter break” without reaching any agreement on the issues of providing financial assistance to Ukraine and Israel, the media recalls. This raises the key question of whether the United States will actually allow differences in its own internal problems to be turned “into a betrayal” of Ukrainian interests at the moment of “a turning point in history,” which Biden personally mentioned in his speech on Tuesday, the WSJ recalls. “It’s hard to believe, but perhaps it is so,” the publication writes. "Biden warned on Tuesday that America is 'at a critical juncture in history' that could 'define the future' of Europe. He's right. Without more American weapons, Ukraine will lose to Vladimir Putin. One result of its loss will be an unstable Europe." - emphasizes the media. Ukraine will soon need more ammunition, and American supplies are running low. The Kremlin is launching new production facilities and betting that the “winter stagnation” in Western decisions will ultimately nullify support for Ukraine. The publication indicates that Ukraine no longer has enough air defense systems to protect cities from Russian air attacks. However, Biden seems to be in no hurry to show through his actions that he is really relying on Ukraine in this war, the media notes. He has only recently begun to seriously consider the demands of the Republicans, although a few months ago it was clear that the fate of Ukraine would become the subject of “bargaining” if his administration was intractable. The WSJ says Republicans are right to make efforts to improve U.S. domestic border security as thousands of new migrants enter the country every day, making their proposals "justifiable." At the same time, it should be understood that Congress must quickly make the right decision for Ukraine before its need for weapons becomes irreparably critical. “The slower the delivery of weapons, the longer the fighting will continue and the less likely it is that Ukraine will be able to seize the initiative on the battlefield. Critics of Ukraine want Kiev to negotiate with Russia, but why should Putin negotiate now if he believes that may well win?”, writes the media. Biden is still hesitant to make a final compromise and is sensitive to the opinions of the “progressive left,” who are already dissatisfied with his support for Israel. Biden does not understand that the defeat of Ukraine in the war with the Russian Federation will result in more dire consequences for the United States compared to the defeat in Kabul - it will be a “second Afghanistan.” "Occupied Ukraine would become a second Afghanistan for President Biden. The expected strategic damage - Putin's victory, the inspiration of China - is much worse than the defeat in Kabul. The Republicans do not want to be involved in such a world, but they will if they abandon Ukraine now after its people have already given up so many lives in two years of war,” the publication notes. The WSJ believes that an agreement on the “Ukrainian-American border” would be a useful boost and tonic for the polarization of American politics. They also recalled that Kyiv is not the only interested party that monitors the decisions of Biden and American legislators.

The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02.22 to 14.12.23 were approximately:

President of the United States of America Joe Biden, during a joint conference with Vladimir Zelensky, said that the American people cannot leave Ukraine without help. "Ukraine will emerge from this war strong, proud, and firmly embedded in the Western system if we do not abandon it. Americans should be proud of the role they played in supporting Ukraine's success. And we will continue to provide Ukraine with the equipment and weapons it needs for as long as we can." , - he said. He noted that Putin is betting on the inability of the United States to help Ukraine and this war. “And therefore we must, we must prove that he is wrong. The US Congress must provide support. We must understand how this situation is viewed around the world, how Russia takes advantage of it,” the American president emphasized. In this regard, Biden said that the US Congress should approve additional funding for Ukraine. He believes that history will judge harshly those who turn their backs on the fight for freedom, because today the freedom of Ukraine is at stake. "If we don't stop Putin, he will endanger everyone's freedom almost everywhere. Putin will continue to move, and potential aggressors everywhere will be inspired to take what they can by force," Biden said. "Mr. President, I will not abandon Ukraine, and neither will the American people. A clear bipartisan majority of the people in the United States and in Congress support your country. They understand, as I do, that Ukraine's success and its ability to deter future aggression are vitally important." for the security of the world as a whole," Biden said. He said his team is working with Senate Democrats and Republicans to find a bipartisan compromise to resolve domestic policy issues over the border and immigration and also support new funding for Ukraine. "Holding funding for Ukraine hostage to try to impose an extreme unilateral Republican agenda on the border is not how it should work. We need real solutions," Biden said. Zelensky recalled that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have already liberated 50% of the territories occupied by Russian invaders since the beginning of a full-scale war, and have also achieved success in the Black Sea. “We want to gain superiority in the skies, this will strengthen our position in 2024. Who controls the skies controls the duration of the war,” he said.

The US Congress will likely delay consideration of legislation to help Ukraine and US border security until next year. The Hill writes about this. Thus, Republican Senator John Cornyn, a member of the leadership group of Senate Republican leader Mitch Mackeonnell, told reporters that additional funding for Ukraine will likely be delayed until 2024. According to him, it will not be possible to reach agreement on the security of the US southern border until December 25. Asked if there was time left this year to reach an agreement on border security reform and military aid to Ukraine, Cornyn responded briefly: “No.” At the same time, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said it would be “almost impossible” to pass this bill. He also called on President Biden to become more involved in the stalled negotiations. "All I said is that even if we reached an agreement, it would be virtually impossible to work it out, get it through the Senate, get it through the House of Representatives by Christmas. That doesn't mean it's not important," he stressed.

President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky addressed those voices that propose that Ukraine abandon the territories and people occupied by Russia. According to an UNIAN correspondent, the statement was made at a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden at the White House. "The question is not only in our words or thoughts. The question is what are we ready for and what not? How can Ukraine simply give up its territories? That is, this is absolute madness. To be honest, we remember God very often. This is definitely not Christianly. Our people live there. Our families live there. Children there,” Zelensky emphasized and added that they are all part of Ukrainian society. He added: “We are talking about living people. They are bullied. They are raped. They were killed. And we know this very well. The issue is not only in the land. The issues are in living people, in their destinies, in their stories. The issues are in these families. , their children. Give the children? Let those voices - I don’t know who is talking about this - I have one question for them: Are they ready to give their children into the hands of terrorists? I think not."

According to the Kiev City Military Administration, as a result of air defense work to shoot down air targets in the capital, about a dozen cases of falling debris were recorded. Goloseevsky district: falling of debris onto the roadway without subsequent combustion. Darnitsky district: fire of a private house on an area of 400 m2. Desnyansky district: a fire on the 7th floor of a 9-story residential building and 8 cars in the courtyard of the house. Residents were evacuated. 17 people were rescued, including 7 children. The Red Cross is working on the spot, a Kievpastrans bus has been brought in to warm people, and assistance is provided by the psychological service. The injured were provided with medical assistance. at two other locations in the area, burning rocket fragments were found in open areas. Dneprovsky district: The blast wave blew out windows in two residential buildings. fire in a private residential building on an area of 2 m2. rocket debris falling on 3 more private residential buildings without fire. There was partial destruction of houses and auxiliary structures. rocket debris falling onto the roadway, damage to the water supply network - emergency crews are working on the spot.

The Ukrainian military on the front line did not feel the disruption in the work of the Ukrainian telecom operator Kyivstar. The head of the Public Relations Service of the Command of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Vladimir Fityo, spoke about this during the telethon. He emphasized that on the front line the military uses slightly different communications. “There is absolutely no influence of the situation on the actions of military personnel. Perhaps there are some inconveniences for civilians, but for the military this has absolutely no meaning,” he explained. Problem with Kyivstar On the morning of December 12, a large-scale failure occurred in the work of the Ukrainian operator Kyivstar. The operator’s website does not work, and there is no mobile connection or Internet. The problems arose due to a powerful hacker attack on the operator’s infrastructure. Kyivstar CEO Alexander Komarov said that the goal of a large-scale hacker attack is to destroy the infrastructure of the mobile operator. “This is a war. It is going on not only at the front, but also in virtual space, in cyberspace,” he noted. It is also impossible to say for sure when full-time operator work will be restored.

On the night of Wednesday, December 13, the Russians attacked Kyiv with S-400 missiles and Iskander missiles. “During the current day, the Russian occupiers launched another missile attack on Kiev, using 10 missiles (S-400 anti-aircraft guided missiles, Iskander cruise missiles). Ukraine’s air defense forces and means destroyed all the missiles. The consequences of the attack are being clarified,” the General said Ukrainian Armed Forces headquarters in the morning report. According to the General Staff, over the past 24 hours the enemy launched 2 missile and 13 air strikes, and carried out 63 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems on the positions of our troops and populated areas. In addition, over the past 24 hours, the Russian Federation once again attacked Ukraine, using 10 UAVs of the "Shahed-136/131" type. The Ukrainian air defense forces and means destroyed all attack UAVs. At the same time, over the past 24 hours, aviation of the Ukrainian Defense Forces has struck an area where enemy personnel, weapons and military equipment are concentrated. And units of the missile forces inflicted defeat on 2 control points, 3 areas where personnel, weapons and military equipment were concentrated, and 2 enemy ammunition depots.

Russian occupiers fired missiles at Kyiv at night, causing damage to civilian infrastructure. As a result of falling debris, a huge hole was formed in the courtyard of the house, and parked cars were thrown into the territory of the kindergarten. An UNIAN correspondent visited the scene of the incident. Windows in a residential building and a kindergarten located nearby were knocked out by the blast wave. They are temporarily covered with film. To help city residents, an operational headquarters will be deployed and doctors will be on duty to provide assistance. In addition, you can file a claim for damage on the spot.

The total combat losses of the enemy from 24.02.22 to 13.12.23 were approximately: Situation update as of 6 a.m., December 13, 2023 Day 658 of the russian full-scale military aggression against Ukraine has begun. During the day of December 12, there were 95x combat engagements. The enemy launched a total of 2x missile and 13x air strikes, 63x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Unfortunately, the russian terrorist attacks have killed and wounded civilians. Private residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed or damaged. Also, during the day of December 12, the russian federation attacked Ukraine yet again, using 10x Shahed-136/131 strike UAVs. The Ukrainian air defense forces and means destroyed all of the strike UAVs. Also, during the day of December 12, russian occupants launched yet another missile on Kyiv, using 10x missiles (S-400 anti-aircraft guided missiles, Iskander cruise missiles). The Ukrainian air defense forces and means destroyed all of the missiles. The aftermath of the attack is being clarified. Air strikes hit Novomykhailivka and Kostyantynivka (Donetsk oblast). More than 130x settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kherson oblasts came under artillery fire. Pivnich operational-strategic group, Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: the adversary maintains its military presence in the areas of russia bordering Ukraine. The enemy troops conduct active subversive activities in order to prevent the deployment of Ukrainian troops to threatened axes. The adversary increases the density of minefields along the state border in Belgorod oblast (russia). Khortytsia operational-strategic group, Kup’yans’k axis: Ukrainian defenders repelled 8x enemy attacks in the vicinities of Syn’kivka, Petropavlivka, and Ivanivka (Kharkiv oblast). Lyman axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 2x enemy attacks in the vicinity of Makiivka (Luhansk oblast). Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian soldiers repelled 5x attacks of the adversary in the vicinities of Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, and Andriivka (Donetsk oblast). The Ukrainian Defense Forces continue inflicting losses in manpower and equipment on the enemy, and consolidate their new positions. Tavria operational-strategic group, Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders continue to hold back the enemy who keeps trying to encircle Avdiivka. The Ukrainian soldiers are standing their ground as they inflict major losses on the enemy. The Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully repelled 51x attacks of the enemy in the areas east of Novokalynove, east of Novobakhmutivka, Stepove, Avdiivka, south of Sjeverne, south of Tonen’ke, Pervomais’ke, and Nevel’s’ke (Donetsk oblast). Mar’inka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the enemy in the vicinities of Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast). The Ukrainian defenders repelled 13x attacks in that area. Shakhtars’ke axis: the enemy did not conduct any offensive (assault) operations. Zaporizhzhia axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 8x adversary attacks in the areas north of Pryyutne, west of Verbove, and south of Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast). At the same time, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue their active operations on Melitopol’ axis to inflict losses in manpower and equipment on the occupation forces, and exhaust the enemy all along the front line. Odesa operational-strategic group, Kherson axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces maintain their positions held on the left bank of the Dnipro River, continue to conduct counter-battery fire, as they strike behind the enemy lines. During the day of December 12, the Ukrainian Air Force launched 1x air strike on the concentration of troops, weapons, and military equipment of the adversary. The Ukrainian missile troops hit 2x command posts, 3x concentrations of personnel, weapons, and military equipment, and 2x ammunition depots of the russian invaders.

Pentagon: US arms industry struggling to keep up with China A draft copy of the new National Defense Industrial Strategy says American companies can’t build weapons fast enough to meet global demand. The publication notes that the project refers to the state of the US defense industrial base. In particular, it is noted that it "does not have the potential, capabilities, responsiveness, or resilience necessary to meet the full range of military production needs at the required speed and scale." The report notes that America makes the best weapons in the world but can't produce them fast enough. "This disparity poses a growing strategic risk as the United States faces the imperatives of sustaining active warfare ... while containing a larger and more technologically advanced threat looming in the Indo-Pacific region," the paper writes. https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/02/draft-pentagon-strategy-china-00129764

About 5.9 billion dollars remained in the US for military aid to Ukraine. This was stated by Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder, reports Censor.NET with reference to Radio Liberty. "Currently, we have approximately $4.8 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority (a mechanism that allows the President to transfer military supplies from bases and depots of the United States Armed Forces without consulting Congress, within limits set by Congress for maximum amounts of such supplies.), and $1.1 billion of available resources to replenish American stocks," he noted. According to him, without additional funding, the US Defense Ministry may soon reach a limit beyond which it will not be able to maintain the current level of security assistance to Ukraine. "This situation underscores the importance of further support from Congress for Ukraine at a crucial moment in its campaign to defend its freedom and resist Russian aggression," the Pentagon spokesman said. Ryder noted that the US Department of Defense's spending decisions will be based on many factors, including Ukraine's urgent needs, the availability of equipment and the US's ability to replenish its resources.

China has built an “eternal” rail gun, solving the problem of rapid barrel wear The railgun was invented about a hundred years ago, but despite potential benefits such as economy and projectile speed, things have not yet progressed beyond testing, and a number of shortcomings cast doubt on the practical effectiveness of this type of weapon. However, a team of Chinese Navy engineers managed to build an electromagnetic gun without one of its key disadvantages - rapid barrel wear. During testing, it fired 120 shots in a short time at a distance of 100 to 200 km. “Military vehicles are slowly transitioning from chemical energy to electromagnetic energy (...) and continuous rate of fire is an important indicator of the combat effectiveness of electromagnetic railgun launch systems,” says a paper recently published by scientists and engineers from the University of Naval Engineering. The breakthrough by the team led by Professor Lu Junyong means that the railguns can fire with high reliability, speed and continuously, SCMP reported. And it makes China a world leader in this technology. The principle of operation of a rail gun is to accelerate a current-carrying projectile using two parallel electrodes and the Ampere force. Theoretically, such a projectile can reach speeds and distances inaccessible to conventional guns. However, a number of obstacles prevent the effective use of this type of weapon in practice. One of the problems is the rapid wear of the weapon due to continuous shooting. The success of Professor Lu's team can mainly be attributed to the use of a sophisticated measurement and diagnostic system. By collecting and analyzing over 100,000 quantities that affect shooting, they were able to discover the key factors influencing the rapid wear of barrels and understand how to minimize their impact without losing overall effectiveness. At the same time, machine intelligence helped to significantly reduce the processing time of the entire array of collected information. As a result, the new electromagnetic gun fires multiple projectiles quickly without causing damage—and maintaining a significant level of accuracy. During field tests, the railgun fired 120 shots. The initial speed of the projectile is 2 km/s, the range is from 100 to 200 km. In the 2010s, the Americans carried out active testing of railguns, but in 2021 they curtailed the program. China saw this as a chance for itself to catch up and overtake its geopolitical enemy. Researchers are not going to limit themselves to military applications of the technology and are thinking about launching bullet trains in vacuum tubes or rockets into space. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, unlike the US Navy, has not abandoned the idea of equipping ships with rail guns. This year they conducted tests. The published video shows how the gun mounted on board the warship fires several times at targets.